It has been well-documented that the Las Vegas Raiders like to collect the LA Chargers' leftovers. Whether it be players, coordinators, or front office executives, the Raiders have made a real habit of bringing in players who failed on the Chargers.
Most of the time these fliers do not work out. Just a month ago the Raiders admitted defeat on former Chargers speedster Jalen Guyton, who was released from the practice squad. General manager Tom Telesco was familiar with Guyton from his time in Los Angeles, hence the opportunity in the first place.
That lesson doesn't seem to be resonating, however, as the Raiders are now bringing in one of Telesco's most disappointing draft picks with the Chargers. Two practice squad spots opened after the team elevated Chris Collier and Andre Carter II to replace Maxx Crosby and Sincere McCormick, who were placed on the IR.
Las Vegas signed none other than Isaiah Spiller to fill one of those vacant practice squad spots.
Raiders sign former Chargers draft bust Isaiah Spiller
Spiller is one of the most disappointing draft picks in recent Chargers history because of the expectations placed on him coming into the league. Drafted in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, Chargers fans were convinced the team found the next great running back steal as Spiller was uber productive at Texas A&M.
Unfortunately, Spiller failed to make the transition into the NFL for multiple reasons. He certainly was not NFL ready as the youngest prospect in the 2022 NFL Draft and he was drafted by a team that struggled to develop young talent and had an awful offensive line to run behind.
Spiller played in just six games in his rookie season and played in only nine in his third season. He carried the ball 55 times for 137 yards with a ghastly 29.1% success rate. The team did not even use Spiller when the 2023 season was essentially over with Justin Herbert injured. That is how bleak things were.
The former Aggie had a chance to make the roster with the new regime in place in 2024 but it was not meant to be. Spiller turned in a woeful preseason in which he carried the ball 10 times for only 13 yards in three games.
Spiller was initially re-signed to the practice squad after failing to make the 53-man roster but was shortly waived thereafter. No other team has taken a chance on Spiller until Telesco called for a reunion with his former draft pick.
It is highly unlikely Spiller sees any game action this season as this could be a future play for the Raiders for the 2025 season. After all, the Raiders' running back room is bleak and Spiller is still only 23 years old. If Telesco believed in Spiller back in 2022, he may still believe in Spiller with the right system now.
Spiller is still almost two full years younger than New York's Tyron Tracy Jr, who is second among all rookies in rushing yards this season. Chargers fans know that this might not matter much, but it is easy to see how someone who drafted Spiller to flounder can talk themselves back into him two years later.